This application relates to a scroll compressor with two inlet ports which merge into a suction path leading to the compressing chambers.
Scroll compressors are widely utilized in refrigerant compression applications. Scroll compressors include a first scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from the base. A second scroll member has a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from its base. The two spiral wraps interfit to define compression chambers. The second scroll member is driven to orbit relative to the first scroll member.
In one type scroll compressor, the base of the second scroll member is in contact with an outer face of the first scroll member at locations radially outwardly of the spiral wraps. This scroll compressor type is known as a full thrust surface scroll compressor. In such scroll compressors, typically there has been a single suction port for providing a refrigerant into the compression chambers. Some scroll compressors have utilized dual suction ports, however, these ports have typically extended through an intermediate portion in the first scroll member, and not at the thrust face.
In full thrust surface scroll compressors, there have typically not been two suction paths leading to the compression chambers. In one proposed scroll compressor there have been two suction paths leading to the compression chambers through the contact face of the non-orbiting, or first scroll member. However, the suction paths have extended radially inwardly generally perpendicular towards a central axis of the scroll compressor.
One main advantage of providing a pair of suction paths into the scroll set compression chambers is that the flow from the two paths to the respective suction chambers need not travel for an undue distance. The longer the refrigerant must travel to reach the respective suction chambers, the greater the heat transfer to the refrigerant. It would be desirable to minimize this heat transfer. Thus, the prior art scroll compressors in which the suction paths lead generally perpendicular, would result in gas turbulence causing inadvertent delay in the flow of refrigerant into the compression chambers.
In the disclosed embodiment of this invention, a scroll compressor includes a non-orbiting scroll member having xe2x80x9cfullxe2x80x9d thrust face contact with the orbiting scroll member, and in which a pair of suction ports lead through the contact face of the nonorbiting scroll to the compression chambers at two circumferentially spaced locations. Preferably, the suction paths merge into a suction chamber radially outward of the nonorbiting scroll wrap, with a component which is generally tangential to the outer periphery of the wrap. More preferably, the suction path initially begins with a smaller tangential component, and merges to a direction with a greater tangential component. In this way, the refrigerant is guided along an optimum path, and thus quickly and smoothly merges into the compression chamber, minimizing the amount of heat transfer to the refrigerant.
In more preferred embodiments of this invention, the suction path is defined within a thrust surface such that the thrust surface itself defines this curving path. This also provides improved reaction through the thrust surface in that there is not a direct radial xe2x80x9cweakxe2x80x9d line through the thrust surface as would be created by the prior art proposed perpendicularly extended path.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.